Structural panels for use on aircraft, missiles and other structural bodies exposed to high loads are secured in place by fasteners capable of effectively transferring shear loads. The panels are typically removable to provide access to electronic, hydraulic or other components located within a compartment under the panel. Since a large number of fasteners are used to securely connect each panel to the structure, the fasteners must be quick-operating to allow for fast removal and replacement of the panel. The fasteners must also be able to withstand high vibration and stress. Thus, the fasteners must be securely attached to the structure to prevent loosening of the fasteners or possible failure of the fasteners.
Fasteners of this type are generally described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,324,517 and 5,399,053, which are incorporated herein by reference. A typical fastener comprises a holder which is permanently attached to an inner surface of the structure and a threaded stud retained in the holder. The fastener also includes a second part attached to the panel and cooperable with the threaded stud to pull the panel toward the mating structure and securely hold the panel in place. A shim is often placed at the location of the fastener, between an outer surface of the structure and an inner surface of the panel to account for any structural variations between the mating structure and panel. Two rivets are typically used to attach the holder and shim to the structure. To install a rivet, the shim and holder are generally held in place by a removable clamping device inserted into a first set of aligned openings in the holder, shim and structure. The rivet is then inserted into a second set of aligned openings and crimped by a rivet crimping tool. Since the clamping device holds the shim and holder at only one location, the shim and holder are prone to moving, which may result in the formation of a gap between the structure and the shim or the structure and the holder. Any such gap may prevent the rivet from being properly installed, thus increasing the chances of the fastener failing under high loads, and increasing fastener installation time due to rework of misinstalled fasteners.
Moreover, it is difficult to align a die of the rivet crimping tool properly over the rivet since there is no surrounding structure to align the die with the rivet. This makes installation of the rivets difficult and increases the time required to attach the fastener to the structure. Furthermore, if the die is not properly positioned over the rivet, the holder and shim may not be adequately attached to the structure, thus reducing the strength of the fastener.
Accordingly, there is presently a need for a device which is capable of holding the holder and shim securely in place against the structure while the rivets are installed to attach the holder and shim to the structure, and which provides a guide for positioning the rivet crimping tool over the rivets.